C1 · Grammar · Erweiterte Partizipialattribute
German Extended Attributes: the Participle Phrase Inside the Noun Phrase
The ruleGerman can insert a complete modifying phrase between an article and its noun: read it by finding the noun first, then unpacking backwards.
This is the single structure that makes academic German feel impenetrable, and it is not a different grammar: it is the ordinary attributive adjective with material stuffed in front of it. Once you can see the shape, the sentences stop being long and start being merely dense.
How it grows
| Stage | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| Plain adjective | das Buch | the book |
| Participle | das gelesene Buch | the book that was read |
| + agent | das von mir gelesene Buch | the book read by me |
| + time | das von mir gestern gelesene Buch | the book I read yesterday |
| Full | das von mir gestern im Zug gelesene Buch | the book I read on the train yesterday |
Every version is one noun phrase. The article and the noun are the brackets; everything between them modifies the noun, and the participle sits immediately before it carrying the adjective ending.
Reading strategy
- Find the article, then jump straight to the noun: the first noun after the participle with the adjective ending.
- Read the participle: Partizip II means the noun had it done to it, Partizip I means the noun is doing it, and zu plus Partizip I means it must or can be done.
- Everything in between is detail (agents, times, places) and can be read last.
- die im letzten Jahr von der Regierung beschlossenen Maßnahmen the measures decided on by the government last year Article die → noun Maßnahmen → participle beschlossenen (passive, done to them) → then the detail.
- ein seit Jahren steigender Anteil erneuerbarer Energien a share of renewable energy that has been rising for years Partizip I → the share is doing the rising.
- die bis zum 31. März einzureichenden Unterlagen the documents to be submitted by 31 March zu + Partizip I → obligation.
Unpacking into a relative clause
Every extended attribute has a relative-clause equivalent, and being able to produce it is how C1 exams test comprehension of the structure.
| Attribute | Relative clause |
|---|---|
| die gestern beschlossene Reform | die Reform, die gestern beschlossen wurde |
| der in Berlin lebende Autor | der Autor, der in Berlin lebt |
| die zu klärenden Fragen | die Fragen, die geklärt werden müssen |
| das von allen erwartete Ergebnis | das Ergebnis, das alle erwartet haben |
The reverse operation, compressing your own relative clauses into attributes, is what raises a C1 text from correct to native-looking. Used once or twice a paragraph it is elegant; used constantly it becomes the parody of bureaucratic German that German style guides complain about.
Where it goes wrong
die beschlossene von der Regierung Maßnahmen
die von der Regierung beschlossenen Maßnahmen
The participle must sit immediately before the noun, with everything else in front of it. The order inside the bracket is fixed: article, then the modifying material, then the participle, then the noun.
Common questions
How do I read a German extended attribute?
Find the article, skip to the noun it belongs to, and read the participle immediately in front of that noun. Partizip II means something was done to the noun; Partizip I means the noun is doing it; zu plus Partizip I means it must or can be done. Everything between the article and the participle is supporting detail.
What is the difference between an extended attribute and a relative clause?
Only compression and register. 'die gestern beschlossene Reform' and 'die Reform, die gestern beschlossen wurde' say the same thing; the attribute is denser and belongs to written, formal and academic German, while the relative clause is neutral.
Can I use extended attributes in my own writing?
At C1, yes, and sparingly. One or two per paragraph reads as competent formal German; more than that and the text becomes the bureaucratic style that German style guides criticise as Schachtelsätze.
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